ces somewhat drawn--the
results of close confinement and anxiety; but none showed any sign of
abuse. For commercial reasons alone, Umanuh had seen to it that the
woman flesh he held for sale should remain uninjured. Now, saved from
the slave trail or worse, the girls showed no more emotion than if on a
mere journey after turtles or fish. A few spoke to men whom they
evidently knew. Others gathered in a dumb cluster and awaited whatever
might come next. With these Tucu talked in gruff monosyllables.

When all were ashore, a dozen of the men went into the jungle to hunt.
The others sought firewood, inspected weapons, talked with one another
and with the girls, who stared at McKay and asked who he was. A number
of the warriors looked sourly at Rand, whose face still bore the Red
Bone tribal streaks which now, to Mayoruna minds, was the insignia of
the enemy. All knew he was the man who had been sought, all saw that he
was not a Red Bone, but a white man; yet their mental reaction to the
sight of the sinister red cross on the forehead and the straight cheek
lines was rabidly hostile. McKay, all-seeing, decided to wash Rand's
face for him before journeying much farther. But Rand himself gave no
sign that he either knew or cared what the feeling of the Mayorunas
might be. Utterly impassive, he stared back at them.

Then one of the women pointed at him and said something to Tucu. The
tall watchdog's jaw set a little harder as he waited the effect.
Somewhat to his surprise, Tucu and a couple of the other men now gave
Rand a more friendly look. Soon afterward Tucu passed Lourenco, who
talked with him a few minutes. Catching the Brazilian's eye, the captain
motioned him nearer and asked for any news.

"Tucu says, Capitao, that most of these girls are from _malocas_ other
than that of Monitaya, though some of Monitaya's women also are here.
And one of them says this man, the Raposa, tried to release them a short
time ago and was nearly killed by the Red Bones for it. They let him
live only because he is crazy, and they fear to kill a crazy man."

"What! He tried to get them clear?"

"Yes. He opened the door and motioned for them to run, but before they
could escape they were caught. He was badly beaten. You will remember
that he was hiding behind that same house when Pedro and Senhor Knowlton
saw him. Perhaps he meant to try again."

"Hm! Crazy and wild, but a white man for all that. How did you manage to
free the women?"